Oleg Takes His Wife to Italy for Her Birthday

“This time the weather was perfect, and we were surprised how well we knew the center of Rome thanks to the Hop-on Hop-off tours. We were amazed by the lakes that looked like the sea, by the beauty of the mountains,” shares Oleg. Read on to discover more about their Italian adventure, told directly by Oleg.

Q: How is it to travel Italy as a senior (60+ age range) traveler? Would you recommend Italy to other senior travelers, and why?
A: Being a 60+ myself I found it rather comfortable and would recommend Italy to other senior travelers.

Q: Which destinations, cities, or highlights did you cover on your trip, and which stood out the most?
A: Milano, Verona, Venice, San Marino, Perugia, Rome. San Marino and Isola Bella stood out the most.

Q: What was a memorable moment or story from your journey that you’d like to highlight?
A: We were lucky to have a warm sunny day during our visit to Isola Bella and the visit to the place with its gardens, rooms full of precious pictures was unforgettable. In fact, the visit was worth the money. 

Q: What were your favorite activities or excursions, and why?
A: Beside Isola Bella, San Marino impressed us most of all, perhaps because it was unusual and peaceful and because, as we understood it later, our coach was out of order while climbing the top of San Marino and I think we were in danger.

Q: Did you try any local food or cultural experiences that you would recommend?
A: To tell you the truth, we did not find anything special about local food. Now Italian food is everywhere. The Chinese restaurant in Rome near our hotel was the best and I would recommend it to other travelers. As to cultural experiences, we were impressed by our Spanish co-travelers' attitude to each other: cheerful, warm and a bit noisy.

Q: Did you have any unique interactions with locals, guides, or fellow travelers that made your trip special?
A: As the group was divided by the language principle into Spanish and English, we were mostly with the English speaking travelers. We made friends with two ladies from Egypt and spent part of our journey with them. We will remember "a singing driver" during our last day in Rome. He helped us to recollect that we were in the singing country.

Q: The trip you booked was a guided tour. How did it feel to travel with a guide on this tour? Would you travel with a guide again? Why or why not?
A: Yes, we had two guides: Alehandra and Paulina, nice girls, but far from being guides. Their information was mostly from a smartphone. Besides, if I decide to take a guided tour again , I would check the nationality of the group. In our case, the majority of the group was Spanish, so English was rather limited during the tour.

Q: Were there any parts of the trip that surprised you in terms of quality or value?
A: Yes. It was our last hotel in Rome (Ibis). I thought the hotel room was under repair but the people at the reception assured me that it was their style. To say nothing of the refrigerator which was empty.

Q: Did this trip change your perspective on Italy, travel, or life in any way?
A: It definitely did! We were envious that Italy managed to grasp so much: history, climate, culture, art! Too much for one country!!!

Q: Looking back, what was the best part of your entire journey?
A: As to the accommodation, the best was in Milano, then the quality started to decline. I think all the cities we visited were a success with all Italian nature and history!

Q: If you could relive one day of your trip, which day would it be and why?
A: Isola Bella! It was somewhat fantastic! By the landscape, weather and by the atmosphere!

Q: What would you say to someone considering this tour or destination?
A: I would advise this tour. It is well tailored, the coach (when it is in order) is very comfortable especially when Bogdan is a driver. Please remember my remark about the language of the tour ! I would advise to be more careful about the choice of the guides, they should be better prepared and be as friendly and attentive even when you are shifted to another hotel and a coach.

Q: Any funny or unexpected stories from your trip you’d like to share?
A: This is still a secret for me why at the end of the tour 4 of us ( including those two Egyptian ladies) were separated from the initial group and accommodated in another hotel and another coach, though we continued travelling by the same route while in Rome for two days more.